Poultry-pan-cleaning device



, Nov. 13, 192s,

H. B. CoA-rs ETAL POULTRY PAN CLEANING DEVICE Fi1ed.Aug. 26, V1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 13, 192s. 1,691,181

H. B. coATs ET AL K POULTRY PAN CLEANING DEVICE Wim@ Theil" ltlozfnw CLL Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNiTED STATES- PATENT oi-FicaN y HENRY D. coArs, on VEEDERSBURG, DONALD DQ JAQUES, or rr-zonNiiowN, AND An- TEUR w. HOLMES, er vnnnnnsnune; `rNDiAavA. i

POULTRY-PAN-CLEANING DEVICE.

.Application filed August 26, 1926. Serial N0. 131,600.

This invention relates to a cleaning device for trays, particularly those used in the cages oft poultry houses.

rlhe chiet object-ot the invention is to eX- 5 peditiously, sanitarily and eliiciently clean reiiuse receiving trays ot the refuse deposited thereon.

The chief feature of the invention consists in providing a portable compartment with io scraping or cleaning means within the same which is so fashioned that while the tray to he cleaned is positioned within the compartment the scraping or cleaning means is inoperative but becomes operative upon the withdrawal ol' the tray and automatically whereby the latter is cleaned ot the refuse deposited thereon, which refuse is deposited thereby in the lower portion of the compartment. Y

Another feature is that the upper portion ot the compartment is made wider than the lower portion so as toreceive the scraping or cleaning means, andv alsoV shallow so that such wider portion can pass between lower and upper rows ot' feeding troughs which are attached to the cages.

The full nature of the invention will be understood trom the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

. In the drawings Fig. l is an end elevation ot a portable cleaner showing the same positioned in an aisle between two tiers ot cages and clearing projecting portions thereof.

, Fig. Q is aside elevational .view with parts broken away to show the cleaning mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view oi a portion of the scraping or cleaningmeans and one supporting bar, parts being broken away, and: showing` said scraper and cleaning means in elevated non-scraping position as the supporting bar is moving inward and has almost reached the position shown 'in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a perspective view ot a portion ot what appears in Fig. 3, showing the `scraping means in a downward and scrapingposition immediately after the supporting` bar has reached its inward limitot movement and has started on its outward or withdrawal movement. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section Vthrough the upper part of "o the device, parts being broken away and parts shown by dottedlines, andshowing the scraping means in its upper or non-scraping position as in Figs. 2 and 3. .Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device on line of Fig. l showing the trayytray'- carrying trame and scraping means in'their position as the tray and trame are being vwithdrawn, parts being broken away. Fig.

scii'aping frame is in scraping position as the l tray and tray traine are being withdrawn, as shown in F ig.. 6. Fig. vl() isv a` transverse vertical section of the tray supporting trame centrally broken away. i

In the drawings l0 indicates a tier of cages,

each cage being provided with a feeding trough 1l and a refuse supporti-ng tray 12, the same being detachable with respect `to the cage and said tray 12 is provided with three sides 13 so that it may be readily introduced into the cageand withdrawn therefrom. In the aisle formed between the cages there is adapted to pass a cleaning device in the form of a compartment lt having an upper` portion 'with upwardly and outwardly inelinedsides l5 forming the cleaning chamber above andappreciably wider'than the refuse receiving portion of the compartment. The. cleaning `device byv the arrangement shown' is adapted to pass between thelseveral tiers and between those forming `narrow aisles with a minimum clearance and yet have the portion wide enough to clean the wide trays and also pass between upper and lower rows ot troughs ll. i l' The portable cleaner includes a plurality of supporting wheels lG and caster wheels 17 and associated with thesame is an anchorage device 18. The upper compartment portion 2() includes a tray receiving aperture 2l and slidably mounted therein is a tray supporting trame 22k having kthe exposed handles 23, whereby said l'rame can be moved into the compartment and withdrawn therefrom-as desired. f Said frame preferably at each side has a cam bar 24 having at its inner end a bevel surface 25 inclined upwardly trom the `end and at the other opposite end a bevel surface 26 inclined downwardly from the end.

Slidably'mounted for movement in a plane substantially transverse to the plane of the tray supporting frame movement is a scrapinOf or cleaning frame com irisin@V the ver D D D tical bars 27 connected by the transverse bars 28. A pair of brackets 29 secured to the wall vof the compartment slidably support said frame bars 27 and spring means 30 is as-` sociated there vith for yieldingly supporting the'scraping niechanisn'i. Each of the bars 27 carries at its lower end a roller 31 and said roller in the movement of the tray supporting frame 22 into the compartment is engaged by the inclined camy surface and is caused to ride upon the upper portion of the same and track bars 24, as shown in Fig. 7. Vlien the tray supporting frame is fully positioned within the compartment, thatpis, to the extent travel along the under sides of the track bars 24 and thus the scraping mechanism is drawn f n down to the lower position as shown in Fig.

4, whereasiin the entering movement of the tray supporting frame the scraping mechanism is maintained elevated as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. g

The tray scraping means comprises a. plurality of scraping plates 40 positioned side by side in overlapped relation and each is supported by a stem 41y slidably mounted in aligned relation'in the guide and transverse connecting members 28.` Suitable spring means 42 provide a yielding mounting therefor. If desired,-a single plate may be substituted for the aforesaid multiple and stag-H gered plates. Alsosupported by the vertical movable bars 27 and in parallel relation, are the guide bars 43, the same being in spaced relation to each other and between and byk said bars'thescraping plates 40 are guided in their vertical movements.

Thescraping or cleaning means is maintained in its upper and non-cleaning position,

' as shown in Fig. 5, by springs 30 and the Arollers 31 riding up on the cam surface 25 at the ends of the bars 24 on the sides and forming a partof the sliding frame 22, yas seen in Fig.

Y 7. The trav 12 which has been removed from a cage filled with refuse is placed on the sliding frame 22 and they are pushed horizontally into the compartment, said frame sliding on the stationary angle bar supports 122 as seen in Fig. 5. As the tray and its frame support is pushed inward the Scrapers 40 are maintained in their upper position as shown i Y in Fig. 5, and, therefore, are inoperative for cleaning during such intermediate movement. But after the tray andiits supporting frame have been pushed in to their inward limit of movement, somewhat beyond the position shown in Fig. 2, the scraper frame is forced downward to the positionshown in Fig. 6, as the tray and supportingframe are withdrawn by the cain surfaces 26 of the bars 24 which force the scraping frame down to its limit of movement, as seen in Fig. 9. This movement of the scraping frame causes the lower end of the Scrapers 40 to engage the bottom of the pan or tray 12 and, as seen in Fig. G, they scrape the contents of the pan or tray out as it is withdrawn and discharge the refuse over the inner open end of the pan or tray 12, as indicated in Fig. G, down into the refuserecept-acle 114 that is in the rear end of the lower narrow portion 14 of the compartment. As indicated in Fig. 2, said receptacle 114 is held in place by the pin 115 on said receptacle, and hook 116 pivoted on the compartment and when released the refuse receptacle can be removed from the compartment. The invent-ion is, however, not limited to any particular constructionl of the refuse receptacle in the lower part of the compartment. The springs 42 on the upper ends of the stems 41 of the Scrapers 40 yieldingly hold the Scrapers in vertical position so as to permit them to accommodate kthemselves to any unevenness in the surface of the pan or tray being scraped. Said springs 42 in their neutral condition hold the Scrapers as shown in Fig. 5.

rlhe invention is not limited, necessarily,

to the use of Scrapers, as'other cleaning means might be mounted substantially in the same way as the scrapers 40 for engaging the bottom of the pan or tray and cleaning out the refuse therefrom as the tray and its support are withdrawn, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The invention claimed is:

1. A poultry tray cleaning device including a tray receiving compartment, a tray supporting frame slidable therein, and cleaning means mounted in said compartment reciprocable towards and from the tray supporting frame for cleaning a trayon said frame as the latter is moved with reference to the compartment and cleaning means.

2. A poultry tray cleaning device substantially as set forth in claim 1, with means on the tray supporting frame for engaging and moving said cleaning means downward into cleaning position as the tray supporting frame is being withdrawn out of the compartment. l v y p Y 3. A poultry tray cleaning device substantially as set forth in claim 1, with means on the tray supporting frame adapted to engage and support the cleaning means in an upper non-cleaning position as saidframeis beingy moved inward and for forcing the cleaning means into cleaning position as the frame is Ibeing withdrawn.

4. A poultry tray cleaning device substantially asset forth in claim 1, said cleaning means including rigid scraping plates adapted to engage the bottom of a tray on said tray supporting means for scraping out the refuse in said tray.

5. A poultry tray cleaning device substantially as set forth in claim 1, the tray sup-l ing means adapted to engage said bars so that Y as the frame is introduced into the compartment said rollers will ride upon said bars and elevate and maintain in elevated non-cleaning position said cleaning means, and when said frame is being Withdrawn Said rollers Will move under said bars and force said cleaning` means downward into cleaning'position.

6. A poultry tray cleaning device substan tially as set forth in claim l, said cleaning means including a vertically disposed frame with vertical end bars, means secured to the Walls of the compartment in Which the end bars of said frame are vertically movable so as to` hold said cleaning frame over the tray supporting frame, and independent cleaning members yieldingly mounted vertically in said cleaning frame in position to engage the tray for cleaning the same when the cleaning frame is in its lower position.

r7. A poultry tray cleaning device substantially as set forth in claim l, said cleaning means including a vertically disposed frame With vertical end bars, means secured to the Walls of the compartment in which the end bars of said frame 'are vertically movable so as to hold said cleaning frame over the tray e supporting frame, independent cleaning members With individual stems extending upwardly therefrom and reciprocable through said cleaning frame, and a spring mounted on the upper end of each of said stems for yieldingly supporting the cleaning members so as to adapt them for cleaning'irregular surfaces.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto affixed our signatures. f

HENRY B. COATS.

DONALD E. JAQUES.

ARTHUR W. HOLMES. 

